Wow. It looks like someone

Wow. It looks like someone pieced together the entire plot for Star Wars, Episode 2. Lucas is going to be pissed if this is real.

w00p! We've finally created an

w00p! We've finally created an outlet for venting about the computer security industry at Attrition.org. (As if Errata wasn't enough.) Subscribe to "Defaced Commentary" and find out news and views regarding high-profile and interesting defacements as well as trends and statistics.

Tomorrow is World Aids Day.

Tomorrow is World Aids Day. How will you be participating ?

Very interesting. I went over

Very interesting. I went over to the Harry Potter Wizard Store and in their "Books" section they're selling a bunch of Llewellyn Publication books. Llewellyn is best known for the vast amount of books they publish for those who practice the religion of Wicca or Witchcraft. I wonder if Llewellyn will capitalize on the Harry Potter phenomena and if we'll see similar trends of youth looking at Wicca as a religion that resulted from movies like "The Craft" and TV shows like "Charmed" and "Sabrina the Teenage Witch".

Today is "Movie Day" here

Today is "Movie Day" here at Brain Stream. I saw "The Mummy" over the holiday and thought it was a pretty fun movie. Now the trailer for "The Mummy Returns" is already out. Not bad...

Popcorn UK gives us a

Popcorn UK gives us a glimpse of Hagrid's Hut for the upcoming Harry Potter movie. (Courtesy of IGN FilmForce.)

I watched the trailer for

I watched the trailer for the Dungeons & Dragons movie due out December 8th and was blown away. It's VERY impressive and I'm looking forward to seeing it.

I've returned from a fabulous

I've returned from a fabulous (and much needed) vacation in California. More pictures to come as well as more postings.

As I mentioned in the

As I mentioned in the previous post, I am visiting Kirky's family in California. Well, it's more beautiful than I could have imagined. Armed with the new digital camera, I've taken many pictures, the first of which are in this gallery with more to come.

Enjoy.

Last week was a crazy

Last week was a crazy week. Wednesday night I trekked up to Portland Maine to catch a Catie Curtis and Dar Williams concert with the friend from my high school days who introduced me to them and her wife.

Then I sped back to the house so I could get some work done in the morning. Absolutely fabulous time. Portland is a gorgeous place with Victorian houses everwhere. Though I was up pretty late, it was nice to do something different for a change.

I got my hairs cut, bought the digital camera the wife and I have been promising ourselves for our birthdays this past Spring, and got my Christmas present from Kirky early. I spent the day prepping my MP3s to go onto the Nomad Jukebox - it has to charge for 12hrs straight so I couldn't take it to work. But it's got these nifty headphones that wrap around the back of the head and curl over the ears. They're also pretty damn good considering how small and light they are.

Last week was the week for new toys. I also got an AudioVox CDM-9000 Tri-Mode digital phone for work. We switched from VoiceScream to Verizon because they kept shutting us off.

All of this is in preparation for heading out West to have Thanksgiving with my brother-in-law and his wife as well as my father-in-law's side of the family. His house backs up into a Girl Scout camp. It's closed for the season, and there's a LOT of woods to visit and enjoy. It's gorgeous out here and a nice contrast to Boston.

Not sure if everyone heard

Not sure if everyone heard the hullabaloo but allegedly Bush signed a bill while in office passed by the 75th State Legislature in 1997 that basically says a hand recount is more accurate to an electronic recount. I found a copy of the bill at the Texas Legislature Web site. Here's a the section:

41-13          (d)  If different counting methods are chosen under Section
41-14    214.042(a) among multiple requests for a recount of electronic
41-15    voting system results, only one method may be used in the recount.
41-16    A manual recount shall be conducted in preference to an electronic
41-17    recount and an electronic recount using a corrected program shall
41-18    be conducted in preference to an electronic recount using the same
41-19    program as the original count.

Oh....my.....god. Could it get any

Oh....my.....god. Could it get any worse? CNN is now reporting that New Mexico is whigging on their initial claim that Gore won the state. A judge has granted an injunction to hold the Palm Beach vote from being officially certified. Thank god this will all be over by at least December 18. Stay tuned for VoterFraud.org.

Don't like your current choice

Don't like your current choice of conspiracies in Florida? Wait a while... A ballot box was found to be left behind at a church in Florida. Next....?

Here's a copy of the

Here's a copy of the offending ballot in Florida. I'll be the first to admit that I cruised through filling out my votes yesterday - it reminded me of taking an easy multiple choice test in college. However in quickly looking at that ballot, I would have expected the "punch" for the right-hand column to be on the right-hand side of that column. At a quick glance, I would have screwed up as well.

I have successfully proved, yet

I have successfully proved, yet again, that there are some days I shouldn't be allowed near a computer. Besides a duplicate MeFi post, I've also sent an e-mail response to someone I didn't mean to. Time for a walk....off that pier down the street.

First it was confusion over

First it was confusion over the ballot in Palm Beach county. Now it's missing ballot boxes. Next, please.

As everyone waits with baited

As everyone waits with baited breath for the results of the Presidential election, Eileen McNamara has written an excellent column about how the electoral college needs to be done away with. I was just thinking this morning - how ridiculous is it that someone can win the popular vote but lose the election? There's no law that says electoral representatives are beholden to your vote either. These are serious issues that need to be addressed. I'll most likely create and electoral education page after the election is over with and perhaps there will be a big effort to get it overturned.

Quite the travesty is going

Quite the travesty is going on in Florida. With Gore and Bush less than a thousand votes apart, the potential that many people voted for Buchanan instead of Gore due to a confusing ballot could create the need for a revote. How aphalling if this could make the difference between Bush or Gore.

Tsk, tsk. The GOP Web

Tsk, tsk. The GOP Web site was defaced last night. In a Reuters report this morning, they're blaming the Democratic party. What a bunch of morons.

Interesting. HTML Basic is at

Interesting. HTML Basic is at the Proposed Recommendation stage at the W3C. It's been my hope that HTML Basic will replace the abysmal WAP Markup Language (WML) currently used for wireless phones and other WAP-enabled devices. When I have some time, I'll write up a review of it with any comments.

This past week has been

This past week has been a busy one with Homecoming at my alma mater, and a fabulous performance of the UMass Marching Band and a heightening of activity in the Israeli/Palestinian online jihad resulting in me speaking with two reporters: one from the New York Times and another from the Associated Press. Work, of course, was as busy as ever. But that's to be expected.

Today is a day of

Today is a day of reflection. A day to remember those from the past. In the last few days, I have come across many such important people who have contributed to my past. One spent the weekend as a guest in my home. I knew her in my high school days. Another has yet to know that I've rediscovered her but she was a good friend that I had some great times with in college.

Here's to friends - past, present and future.